India to make roads safer with US cooperation

Nikhil PuthranWednesday 13 July 2016, 17:20 PM

Indian roads is known to be one of the deadliest in the world. To make it safer, Nitin Gadkari, India's Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping has highlighted investment opportunities in India for US investors. Post meeting with the US Secretary of Transport Anthony Foxx, he added that the United States has offered to fully cooperate in providing technical assistance to implement intelligent traffic management systems and develop road safety.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also stated that the development of infrastructure is the government’s topmost priority. The Road Safety Bill will be introduced during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament and it is likely to be passed. Gadkari pointed out that high rate of fatalities and road accidents were a direct result of congestion on the national highway system which accounts for two per cent of the country’s road network but accommodates 40 per cent of total traffic.

Based on reports, it is believed that the new Bill will propose a point system resembling the United States where drivers have a possibility of losing their licence if they commit more than a certain number of traffic violations. Apart from road transport, the American officials also offered cooperation to develop inland waterways network in India. The government plans on including the 111 rivers in this network that could stretch over 14,500 kilometres.

The India and US collaboration is expected to be helpful in a large way as the accident stats report 5,00,000 accidents every year which took a toll to about 1,50,000 lives. With this collaboration, we could expect some respite from a lot of the traffic problems in our country.